Why Kim And Rihanna Matter More Than Brands

OLIVIER ROUSTEING of Balmain may be one of the new wave of designers embracing social media and celebrity placement with gusto, but in some ways he's also old school. Despite acknowledging the power of his famous fans, including Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Kim Kardashian, he has the brand's founder in mind when he needs to feel connected to what's important.

"When you look at the fashion brands, how many followers do they have? Balmain has 1.1 million. It's like 10 per cent of what those girls have. It shows you the power of the personality more than the power of the entire brand," he told the Telegraph. "I keep Pierre Balmain in my mind because he loved strong women, women who have something to say. All the French designers - Balmain, Poiret, Dior, Balenciaga - they believed in strong women. Their mothers were really important. In France, fashion has always been connected to the role of the woman. I keep in my mind the rules of French fashion."

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One of the brands high-profile fans in particular has bewitched the young Frenchman: Rihanna.